The Blast Seen Around the World
by t.j.guard
Summary: Sequel to Finding Dasha. Zenon recieves a strange premonition in her sleep which disperses the can of worms opened in Finding Dasha, and it seems Proto Zoa, Dasha, and the others are along for the ride. PZ/Z
1. Chapter 1

The Blast Seen Around the World

Disclaimer: I don't own Zenon.

A/N: sequel to Finding Dasha, PZ/Z  
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<p>

Chapter One

Zenon stared out the window of her pod, puzzling for a moment at the fact that she couldn't raise her arms to work the upper control panels. The pod turned and drifted forward for a moment, toward the space station. She wondered what she was doing there, why she was going there, but she assumed that it was to return home after the summer was over.

Her hands moved the wheel as if she had no control over their movements, and at that moment, she realized she was trying to steer away from the space station. She tried again, in vain, to control her limbs, to steer back toward the space station, but instead, she found herself doing a large loop, positioning herself at a further distance from the space station.

Why? she wondered. She tried to look down at her hands, but her eyes were fixed on the space station.

A second later, the space station ripped apart from its core, and everything was torn to shreads by a ball of fire. The fireball was one of the brightest objects in their region of space, and the shockwave flipped Zenon's pod upside down and sending it backwards.

ZZZ

Zenon sat bolt upright in bed, breathing heavily and in a slight cold sweat. She was a little bit disoriented for a moment, and then she realized that she was in a guest bedroom at Nova Linda Cove.

She climbed out of bed and walked out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. It felt good to be in control of her own movements again, especially as she washed her face with cold water and regained control of her breathing. She leaned on the counter over the sink, weighing her options. She wasn't sure about telling Proto Zoa about the dream; much as she loved him, she had a bad gut feeling about telling him about this dream. She didn't want to cause him any unnessecary panic.

A strange thought occurred to her: that the dream was a warning, some form of premonition. If that were true, she had several questions to answer. Who was trying to blow up the space station, and why? Could that person be stopped before it was too late?

She knew the answer to the latter question. Yes, that person could be found and stopped, especially with Zenon Karr seeing to it.

But that meant she needed to talk to Proto Zoa about it, and he needed to talk to Lester, the "man of a thousand connections" who helped her find her cousin after Numbar had kidnapped her and forced her to submit to a paternity test.

Were the two connected, she wondered, and what did it have to do with the Mars Colony that Dasha told her about?

She took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom. She knocked on Proto Zoa's bedroom door, and it slid open. "Mmm, Zee, what's going on?" Proto Zoa asked sleepily as he walked back over and took a seat on his bed.

Zenon wet her lip and explained everything she knew about the dream she'd been having off and on for the past several weeks. Proto Zoa's eyes widened, and even if he wasn't, he certainly seemed wide awake. For some time, he was speechless, instead picking one side of his bed and patting the other. She walked over and lay next to him. He wrapped an arm around her, and she settled into him, her eyes fluttering closed. "We'll figure this out," Proto Zoa whispered, "and everything will be fine." These were the last words she'd heard before falling asleep.

ZZZ

Dasha sat cross-legged on her bed, her fingers laced and her elbows on her knees, chewing her lip. Her stereo was playing one of Proto Zoa's chips, but she wasn't paying much attention.

She picked up her zap-pad and replayed the message she'd recieved earlier that day. Numbar's face filled the screen, and he seemed cheery somehow, though Dasha didn't suspect that it was because he wanted to talk to her. "I just wanted to let you know that my offer still stands," he said. "Call me back if you decide yea or nay." The message ended, and Dasha let the zap-pad fall from her hands and into her lap. She tried to think, but her mind failed her and her eyes glazed over.

She almost didn't realize it when the chip ended, but when she caught on, she changed it and then lapsed back into a state of mindlessness. This state was only disturbed by a charge racing through space which sent chills down her spine.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Proto Zoa awoke the next morning, afraid that he'd had an affair when he noticed the woman lying in bed next to him. Then he realized that it was Zenon, and he remembered what had happened, what he thought was a dream. Zenon had had a nightmare about her space station blowing up.

"Oh, Zenon," he mumbled into her hair, giving her a gentle squeeze. He kissed the top of her head and relaxed, staring up at the ceiling. "Oh, Zenon. What are we to do?"

Zenon groaned, shifting her position slightly. He met her gaze when she looked up at him. "Good morning, love," he said.

"Morning," she replied.

"Are you okay? You had quite a fright last night."

"Yeah, it's been like this for several weeks."

He propped himself up on his elbow. "Several weeks?"

"Sweat minor. It's just a nightmare."

"A recurring nightmare."

"The charges come and go, too. It's not like they're connected."

"You never know, they could be."

Zenon sighed and shook her head. Proto Zoa sat up, allowing Zenon to adjust her position. "Zenon," he whispered, "be careful, and make sure you remember this dream. The last time you had dreams like this, they seemed to be a message. I don't see any reason to assume that that's different this time around."

"I will," she replied.

"Now, who wants breakfast?" he asked, smiling in spite of what had happened.

ZZZ

Numbar paced across the hotel room. The charges were getting worse, and every time they came, he got horrible migranes which forced him to draw the blinds and hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign at his door. When they became more frequent, he just left the sign and blinds where they were and tried to figure out exactly what he was going to do about the charges.

And Dasha. And his new pet project, the Martian colony.

His biological daughter being a completely unpredictable factor and the charges being something he deemed completely out of his control, he'd long since decided to focus on his plans for the colony. Reports came in on a daily basis about the progress the team was making, and he himself began contemplating hosting another Teen Supreme competition. After all, people had more than likely forgotten about Selena the Moon Goddess. It's been seven years.

Besides, the moon having Selena as a resident was a fluke. That wasn't to say that Mars would have its resident.

"Guess again," a voice hissed in Numbar's ear. He turned on his heel, straining to see in the darkness, but nothing seemed out of place save the red mist swirling around throughout the room in patches. The mist began to coalesce before his very eyes into the form of a red, translucent man with short black hair, one of only a very few changes in his coloration. "Don't underestimate us," the man added. "None of us are to be trifled with."

Numbar stood and stared, unable to speak, overcome with the knowledge that he couldn't move his body.

"One of my tricks," the man said, "but don't worry. It's not supposed to kill you. I just like making sure people listen to me."

"What do you want?" Numbar managed, his voice mangled and almost unintelligible.

"You know what I want, and you're the only one in a position to give it to me right now, unless there are others who build up a resistance or protest this colony of yours. Since that doesn't seem likely, then you're the only one. Questions, comments, or concerns? No? Good." He flicked his wrist, and Numbar flew backwards with a yell, slamming into the wall and crumpling to the floor.

Numbar pushed himself up so that he was on all fours and looked up at his mysterious visitor-attacker. "Who are you?"

The man walked over and picked Numbar up by the collar. "Wouldn't you ought to know," he hissed. "With all your knowledge and experience, how could you assume there was only one? I am the god of war, and dark days are coming for this planet. Dark, dark days." He dropped Numbar and disappeared, leaving the latter thoroughly confused and out of sorts.

"I need to find another pain medication," Numbar whispered when he felt certain he was alone.

ZZZ

Dasha paused at the mirror, her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth, thinking for a moment that she saw the reflection of a man composed entirely of red haze, but when she turned, there was no one there, and when she returned to the mirror, the image was gone. She finished brushing her teeth and walked out of the bathroom to meet her parents, who were sorting out decorations in the living room. Her dog was at the door, begging to be walked. "You better take care of that," Commander Plank said.

"Okay, Dad," Dasha replied, picking up the leash and hooking it to the dog's collar. "Be back in a moment micro."

The second she walked outside, she remembered everything she loved about Earth. The air, the sounds, the people, the occasional breaze. She kept pace with her dog, watching the people around her stare or merely turn away politely.

These minor details didn't occupy her mind for long, however, as her thoughts kept drifting back to the man in the mirror who wasn't really there. For a moment, she was grateful that she didn't tell her parents; she couldn't handle a massive stalker hunt extreme right then, when she'd finally let the Numbar Incident's water slide under the bridge, as it were.

She turned a corner and walked toward the park. Between a pair of trees, under the canopy of leaves the two trees formed together, stood the man from the mirror. Her dog barked up a fuss, and she knelt beside him and held him. "Easy, Centauri, easy," she whispered.

"For a moment I mistook you for your cousin," the man said, and Dasha looked up at him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You two look so much alike that it's almost scary, but that's beside the point. The point, and the reason for my visiting you, is your close relation, at least genetically, to one Patrick Numbar."

"Yeah, so?"

"I have a proposition for you."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Wow, Zoa. Cereal. How romantic," Zenon said with a smirk as Proto Zoa walked into the living room and sat on the sofa, two bowls in hand. He handed one to Zenon.

"It's the thought that counts, love," he replied with a smile.

She scooted closer to him. "Thanks," she whispered. "For everything."

"I try, Zee. I try."

She chewed her cereal for a moment. "Zoa, do you sometimes wonder if you're being watched?"

"What makes you ask?"

"Just...curious."

"Zenon, I'm an extremely famous rock star. Of course I'm being watched, all the time, actually. Seriously, though. What makes you ask such a thing?"

"It's one of those things that comes with the charges. I get this feeling that we're being watched by someone, even though I'm not exactly sure who it is."

"Have you seen this person?"

She shook her head no. "Maybe I'm just paranoid major."

"Maybe, maybe not."

"You're gonna say something about it having to do with the charges and the recurring nightmare, and maybe they're related major, and maybe it's coincidence major."

"Zee, did you take statistics?"

"Yeah."

"Did you know that the odds are astronomically small that three seemingly unrelated coincidences will occur within a small timeframe?"

"Yeah."

"Then odds are the charges, the paranoia, and the dreams are related, though how I'm not sure yet."

Zenon twirled her spoon around in her bowl. "Okay, so maybe they are related, but what about Numbar's Martian colony?"

"Based on what happened on the moon seven years ago, I'd say that the colony project is most likely the focal point. Mars wants Numbar to stop building on his planet."

"Like Numbar's gonna listen."

Proto Zoa smirked. "I'd figured as much the second I found out he snuck his way aboard the Wonder Bus."

"I remember that. Didn't you publicly threaten his life?"

"I may have, when I was seeing red. I don't remember much, and besides, that was almost a decade ago."

"Well, he's been mentioning a colony on Mars for several years. Doesn't surprise me that he's actually going through with it."

Proto Zoa set his bowl on the coffee table and wrapped his arms around Zenon, who set her bowl next to his and leaned into him. He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. "You don't need to be afraid," he whispered. "I'm not going to leave you."

"Vega omega, that's rudicrous," she said immediately.

"Is it?"

"Yes, it is. Rudicrous major."

"Or is there something you're ignoring?"

"Zoa."

"Sorry."

Zenon took the bowls into the kitchen largely in an effort to gain some space, and as she glanced at the window, she thought she saw an unusually red man. Confirming that her eyes weren't decieving her, she turned to face him, watching him pass through the wall as if it, or he, were immaterial. "Z-Z-Zoa?" she called. Proto Zoa rushed into the kitchen only to stop the instant he spotted the man.

"Oh, good, you're both home," the man said. He studied Zenon. "Ah, yes, the strong-willed one. The one with the dreams. Very interesting. Dark days are coming for this world, and yours." He then looked over at Proto Zoa. "These dark days can break a person."

"Okay, who are you?" Zenon asked.

"You should know by now." With that, the man disappeared.

"Okay, what was that?"

"Mars," Proto Zoa replied. "That's me wagering a guess."

"It's the only one we have, but what's with this cryptic major way of talking? I mean, 'dark days'? Really?"

"Mars is the god of war, so they really could be 'dark days'."

"Okay, no, no. Nobody's going to die."

"You never know, and personally, I'm beginning to doubt that we can control anything in this mess."

"You know what, I'm going to find Numbar, and I'm going to give him a peace of my mind. He thinks he's going to start a war? Negatory."

He pushed gently against her shoulders. "Zenon, look at me," he said. "We don't know how much he knows yet. Give it time."

She exhaled harshly, looking down at the floor. He tilted her chin upward and kissed her gently on the lips. "It's going to be okay," he whispered.

"I hope you're right."

ZZZ

Dasha watched as Centauri perched himself on the couch. Her mind was too distracted to really think about anything of any importance, but still she felt the need to think anyway.

All she'd really comprehended was that Mars had wanted her to somehow convince Numbar to stop this colony project of his, which seemed, at least to Dasha, impossible extreme, and yet she had the strange sense that it was in some way expected of her.

A thought sparked movement in her, and she reached for her zap-pad, which she found on the coffee table.

"Dasha, what's up?" Zenon asked when she answered the zap. Dasha took a deep breath and explained in detail her encounter with Mars. Zenon went pale during her cousin's explanation and, at one point toward the end, had to sit down.

"What's up?" Dasha asked, knitting her brow.

"Vega omega," Zenon whispered. "He said the same thing to us. Dark days are coming."

"But talk about ambiguous major. What does that even mean?"

"Join the club."

"Well, well, well, Dasha Plank," Proto Zoa said, a bright smile on his face as he sat down next to Zenon. "More Mars business?"

"Affirmative," Dasha replied.

"Next question: given the state of things right now, do we let this thing run its course?"

"Well, we'd have to intervene at some point," Zenon said, "especially if we're all being visited like this. I don't know if we're supposed to do anything right now, but as inky major as this is going to get, we'll have to do something somewhere along the line."

"How?" Dasha asked. "I mean, what're we supposed to do?"

"I'm clear minor, but at least we have time to figure it out."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Numbar could feel the deadline approaching as if it were his own death, and the numerous dust storms on Mars, right in the middle of construction, weren't helping matters any, even though he'd given the order that everything was to continue as planned. If he'd been given a little more time-

But he'd had enough time. Enough to plan, organize, figure things out, get the ball rolling, even giving it a push here and there along the way. The time was at hand where the colony buildings themselves would be complete, and it would be time to act, and act quickly.

He glanced at the piles of invitations that needed sending out, and he thought on the opening day. He still needed a main act.

"Of course," he whispered to himself, placing the invitations in a bag and grabbing his zap-pad. He zapped Proto Zoa's manager on the way down the stairs.

"Lester."

"Lester, it's Pat Numbar. I've got an opening for a show I'm hosting, and I think I know just the star for it."

"Who?"

"Proto Zoa."

Lester cringed. "Oh, I don't think he's going to agree to that, what with everything that happened last month. It's a wonder he hasn't sued your ass for pain and suffering by now."

"That doesn't matter right now. Can he do the gig or not?"

"Well, I'll run it by him, see what he says, and let you know."

"For the record, I only have five weeks."

"I'll see what he says and get back to you." Lester hung up, and Numbar caught the next taxi pod to the facility.

ZZZ

Proto Zoa stirred into consciousness to his zap-pad going off, and he answered with a groggy, "Hello?"

"Zoa, I don't know if you're gonna like this, but I got you an offer for a gig," Lester replied.

"A gig?"

Lester swallowed and wet his upper lip. "It's on Mars."

"Vega omega, he's seriously going through with it."

"Look, the guy that offered this gig, Numbar, he's getting antsy, and it's bad. Says he's got five weeks left, and that I'd better get him your decision, soon."

"Am I at least allowed a little time to think about it?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, this is your career and I'm just the manager, but still. I knew you weren't gonna jump on it right away."

"Well, for one I'm half-asleep, but you never know, this could work. We could work this into a plan to get the colony off of Mars the planet and get Mars the god to leave us alone." Proto Zoa remembered the dream Zenon had described to him, but he wasn't willing to share that with Lester of all people, even if his manager did happen to have some insight.

"Well, zap me when you make up your mind or anything else happens."

Proto Zoa nodded, climbing out of bed. He was about to turn off his zap-pad, but for some reason, he couldn't. Instead, he walked out of his room and into the living room, Lester still on the line and ranting about the high fees Zoa was racking up in this strange stunt, whatever it was. Zoa looked over at the television Zenon was fixated on, and he soon realized why.

The headline read: 'Riots break out in Rio', and the zap-pad almost fell from Proto Zoa's hands. "Are you watching the news?" he asked.

"What, of course I'm watching the news," Lester replied.

"What's the story you're watching right now?"

"Are you okay?"

"Which story are they telling you right now?"

"Something about riots in Brazil. Happy now?"

"Lester, don't try to kill me. I can't afford that right now, and I think the 'dark days' I've heard so much about are coming faster than we expected."

"Dark days? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't worry. We'll figure this out."

"I'm afraid you don't have time to figure things out," a voice said from behind him, miraculously attracting both his and Zenon's attention.

Selena walked over to them, and Lester asked, "Who's the chick?"

"We'll be zapping you back," Selena said, flicking her wrist at Proto Zoa's zap-pad, which flew out of his hand and landed on the floor, small amounts of smoke drifting up from what was left of it.

"You...you..." Zenon began.

"Fried his zap-pad. I know. Now listen. Whatever you thought was going to happen in the midst of all this colonial nonsense, it's worse, much worse. You two need a plan, now. Do you have one?"

Proto Zoa and Zenon exchanged a glance before looking at Selena, and they said, "No," in unison.

"Then get busy," she snapped, before taking a deep breath. "We only have a few weeks, and Numbar's acting quickly. We need to do the same thing, before this gets any-"

A crack of thunder shook Nova Linda.

"Worse," Selena finished, wincing a little.

Zenon got to her feet and walked around the couch, her eyes on Selena. "Vega omega," she whispered, listening to the rain falling hard against the roof and windows. "Dark days could be literal."

"Aye. A storm is comin'."

"So, what do we do?" Proto Zoa asked, looking from Zenon to Selena and back again.

Zenon and Selena exchanged a glance, and the latter asked, "What about the gig?"

"What gig?" Zenon asked, looking at Proto Zoa.

"Lester told me Numbar was looking for an act for a concert he was hosting, most likely the colony's opening day, and Lester knew I wouldn't jump on it right away," he said. "It might be the key to thwarting this crazy plan of his."

Selena looked at Zenon again, and she knew what Selena was thinking. Zenon looked over at Proto Zoa, and by the look in his eyes, she knew he knew what she was thinking. "Just remember," Selena said, "there are always casualties in war."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"You've been pacing for thirty minutes," Proto Zoa said from his position on the couch, watching Zenon cross his living room back and forth far too many times for him to count. "You're going to wear a groove in my floor."

"Zoa, I don't have a choice," Zenon replied. "We're running out of time, and somehow my dreams fit into this crazy major nonsense."

"You know, this reminds me of Selena's assault on Earth. Riots are violent, but they're a thing of the past, or they were. Assuming Mars is causing them, they're bound to break out in other places, not necessarily bound to Earth."

She stopped pacing almost immediately. "You don't think...do you?" Proto Zoa nodded. "How is that possibly possible?"

"You'd be surprised. I've seen hysterical fans trample each other for front row seats."

"But still. That's different. Riots are..."

"Usually fairly uncivilized political protests utilized by various groups of people in order to have an issue addressed. Contrary to popular opinion, I paid attention in school, for however short a time I was there. I paid enough attention to know that I never really wanted to go to school in the first place."

"Okay, so, is war the next step?"

He shrugged. "Who knows?"

"But now we have a gigundus major problem on our hands."

"It's not on our hands. It's on Numbar's."

"You know he's going to pass the buck."

"Yes, but it's still his problem, and if you ask me, I say he's the one that has to deal with it, no matter what excuse he makes to avoid it."

"But how?"

"I don't know yet, love, but I'm certain we'll think of something."

Zenon's zap-pad rang, and she answered almost immediately to a clearly panicked Dasha. "Vega omega," she managed, though her voice was strained. She held up a small chip and added, "He's serious about me moving to Mars."

"You got invited?" Proto Zoa asked. Zenon sat on the couch so that Dasha could see him better.

Dasha nodded, and Zenon said, "Well, so did Zoa. Numbar wants him to do a gig, and we're pretty sure it's on Mars. Zoa thinks it could be the key to stopping this whole mess, but we only have five weeks."

"That's a lot of time."

"Not in construction time," Zoa said. "In a contractor's mind, five weeks is the home stretch, the light at the end of the tunnel. The project is almost complete and he can get paid."

"So...what do we do?"

"We're working on it."

"So I guess I should work on it, too. What do you want me to do?"

Zenon glanced at Proto Zoa and said, "Watch Numbar. If he does anything suspicious extreme, let us know."

"How do I get that close?"

"That's easy," Zenon replied. "Tell him you want to know more about his project, but don't sound too eager, or he'll know we're onto him."

"Okay." Dasha hung up, and Zenon handed her zap-pad to Proto Zoa.

"Thanks," he said, and he proceeded to zap his manager.

ZZZ

Lester chewed his lip and tapped his pen against his desk. Numbar's antsiness was becoming contagious, and he certainly didn't want a lawsuit. Proto Zoa was probably still thinking about this decision he had to make, and if what he said was true, he could use the gig, or arrangements for it, to stop Numbar's colonization of Mars.

Lester had to admit, though, that Numbar was a new kind of ambitious, to the point of earning himself a picture in the dictionary next to the word. Some of his talents didn't even have that kind of ambition, and he'd been supplying it for a long, long time. It'd become a drain on him, dealing with these types of clients.

And then there was Proto Zoa. The kid didn't seem to be able to shut his mind off, except when Zenon wasn't around. It took a long time coming for him to admit his love for her, of that he was certain. "Godspeed, kid," he'd said to himself when he'd first heard the news.

His transmitter beeped, so he pressed the button and said, "Lester."

"Oh, good, you're still there," Proto Zoa said.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's Saturday."

"Well, I've got a few hours left still. You thought about that gig?"

"Yes, I have. I want you to put me in touch with Numbar."

ZZZ

Numbar's zap-pad went off, and as soon as he checked the ID, he said, "I've gotta take this." He stepped out into the hall and answered the zap-to the face of Proto Zoa. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk to you about this gig you're offering me," Proto Zoa replied. "It is on Mars, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Do you have any plans in the near future of stopping at Space Station 015741?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you know where Space Station 015741 is. Now tell me, do you plan to stop there for any reason?"

Numbar sighed. "Yes," he said indignantly. "I plan to stop at Space Station 015741. Why are you asking?"

"Because I want to meet you there so that we can discuss this concert you want me to do."

"Fine. I'll set a date and get back to you."

"Make it soon, because you're not the only one with the schedule."

"Fine." Numbar hung up, put his zap-pad back in his pocket, and walked back into the room.

ZZZ

Dasha filled her glass of water and took a sip just as the doorbell rang. She set the glass on the counter and walked over to the front door. She checked the screen next to the door to see Numbar's face. She pressed the button and asked, "What do you want?"

"I'm just making sure you got your invitation, and personally I'm curious about what you decide," Numbar replied.

Okay, Dasha, focus. Remember what you're supposed to do. "Can I check out the project first?"

Numbar laughed, and Dasha found herself with a horrible feeling in her stomach. "I thought you'd never ask," he said.

Oh, god, what have I done? she wondered as she, according to plan, opened the door.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Zenon listened to the rain, contemplating her dream and wondering if Zoa had made a huge mistake by talking to Numbar and arranging to arrange a meeting on the spay stay-her spay stay.

Speaking of huge mistakes, she wondered if she'd made one in giving Dasha the idea to check out Numbar's project in search of anything "suspicious extreme". She wondered if she'd accidentally put Dasha in danger, and with that thought came a sense of urgency. She walked into Proto Zoa's bedroom, where he was strumming on his guitar. "Zoa, I think we made a horrible major mistake," she said.

Zoa stopped strumming and sat up properly, leaning his guitar against one of the legs of the bed. "Are you sure?"

"I hope I'm wrong major, but if I'm not, I don't want to be too late."

Zoa shrugged on a jacket and pulled an umbrella out of his closet. He wrapped an arm around Zenon and led her to the front door. As soon as the door opened, he opened the umbrella and walked past the fence, pressing a button as he passed. The hum of the forcefield could barely be heard over the thunder, rain and wind.

He led her down the slope to a small town with a parking garage, where he'd left his pod. He helped Zenon inside and turned the pod on before maneuvering out of the parking garage. "Now," he said, "where do we begin to look?"

"Try contacting Lester," Zenon replied.

Zoa nodded and turned to head north. He pressed a button on the dashboard, and, as characteristic of him, his manager answered, "Lester."

"We need your help, again," Zoa replied. "We're trying to find Numbar."

"Again?"

"Look, we think we've made a horrible mistake, and we have to correct it before it's too late."

"Too late? Too late for what?"

"My cousin's in danger, again, and so help you if you stop me," Zenon said.

"Zoa, your girlfriend scares me."

"Good," Zenon and Zoa said at the same time.

"Okay, look. I know he has an apartment below me, but he hasn't been there for weeks. I can run a quick search for a hotel if you want me to."

"Please do, and get back to us when you have something."

"Okay." Lester signed off, and Zoa glanced at Zenon, who swallowed and then looked out the passenger window.

ZZZ

Dasha sat in the passenger seat of Numbar's pod, the kidnapping replaying itself over and over again, the thought that this time she'd gone willingly being of no consolation whatsoever.

She glanced at Numbar, whose attention was fixated on the conditions in front of him, and she tried to go over the plan in her mind, but her thoughts remained on the kidnapping. Dasha chewed her lip, trying to stifle the fear welling up inside her.

Then her thoughts exaggerated on the mental replays: It's happening again, her mental voice said. You're going to be taken hostage again, as leverage, and if you don't do what he says, he could kill you. You need to find a way out, fast.

Quickly, Dasha checked their altitude. Too high to jump, she concluded. She settled back in her seat, staring out the windshield. It occurred to her that she should start asking questions, so she started with something simple. "How's the project going?"

"Just fine. We're looking to finish right on schedule," Numbar replied.

"Did you pick a space station to piggy-back off of for transport?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we did. I'm sure you'll recognize it, since you have family that live there."

Dasha nodded. Time to start broaching the subject. "Any special plans for this space station?"

Numbar smirked. "You'll see."

"So it's a surprise. You know, usually surprises are fun major."

"Maybe this one is, if you're a pyro."

Oh, this can't get any more viral extreme, Dasha thought, the feeling in her gut getting worse at the sound of his words. As inky as it seemed, though, she did the same thing she did when she was in trouble with her parents. Okay, Dash, you can do this. Zenon could handle this. What would she do?

Numbar parked the pod in the lot of a building, and she climbed out the first available chance she had. He led her into the facility and down a hall to his office, where he gestured for her to have a seat. "Now, is there anything particular you want to know about the Martian colony?"

"Well, there is one thing," Dasha began. "Why do you want me there?"

He went pale, and she could see shock and terror in his eyes. In that moment, she realized something. Either he didn't intend for her to remember that, or he didn't intend for her to live.

For a long while he was silent, and Dasha found herself seeking an opening to excuse herself to the restroom and never return. After a moment, with Numbar's silence becoming excruciating, she said, "I feel a little inky. Can I go to the bathroom?"

"Yeah, sure. Down the hall, first door on the left."

Dasha nodded and walked out of the office as quickly as possible. She reached the parking lot within minutes and found a booth, where she entered her code and zapped the first person she could think of: Zenon. When Zenon didn't answer, she zapped an operator and asked for Proto Zoa's pod.

"Well, I don't know if I can patch you through, but I can give it a shot," the opperator said. A second later, he heard Proto Zoa's distinctive voice, even though he was a little miffed. "Who is zapping me at a moment like this when I'm trying to find Dasha?"

"Well, news flash major, rock star, you just found her," Dasha replied.

"Oh, thank goodness. Where are you?"

She rattled off a location and offered to stay on until he got there unless something "viral extreme" should happen. He agreed to it, and she glanced out behind her. "He's going to find out I'm not in the bathroom, but I had to say something to get out of there."

"Tell him you zapped your cousin to help you find a place to stay for a little while while you got over your sickness."

"You think he'll buy it?"

"He'll have to if he wants to keep a low profile. You just wait there however long it takes; just hang in there and trust us."

"Okay."

ZZZ

Zenon sank back in her seat, her eyes closed. Proto Zoa took her hand and stroked it with his thumb. "You see, it's going to be alright," he said. "It's working out just fine. You don't have anything to worry about."

"Except the spay stay blowing up," she replied.

"We don't even know if that's a vision of the future yet, and if it is, we might've already changed it by now."

She looked over at him. "But what if we didn't?"

"We still have time. At most, we have five weeks to stop this." He maneuvered the pod effortlessly around others as it continued its ride north. "I told you, you have nothing to worry about. Everything's going to be just fine."

"Let's get to Dasha first, and then we can sweat minor."

ZZZ

Dasha slipped out of the booth and began to pace, ignoring the strange looks she'd gotten from a few of the passersby. She didn't know how long it would take Proto Zoa to get there, but she couldn't stand in one spot for too long. She couldn't leave the location altogether, though, so pacing seemed to be her only option.

Several pods rushed by, but for several minutes, none of them stopped, and then a silver pod descended to the old street and stopped in front of the booth. Dasha relaxed almost immediately and walked over to the pod just as the door popped open. The second the door closed, she said, almost completely breathless, "Numbar wants to blow up the spay stay."

Zenon looked from Proto Zoa to Dasha and then looked out over the street. "What now?" she asked.

"We've averted disaster major," Zoa replied. "Will you stop worrying?"

Zenon sank back in the passenger seat and rubbed her eyes. "Are you two dating now?" Dasha asked in an effort to break the somewhat awkward silence.

"Uh, well, sort of," Zoa replied. "She's spending the summer with me."

"Oh."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"What do you mean, she escaped?" Numbar asked.

"She must've called for a ride or something," one of the men said. "Point is, she's not in the restroom, and we haven't found her in the immediate vicinity."

"So where is she?" The man shrugged, and Numbar said, "Get out of here, all of you." The men filed out of his office, leaving him alone with his thoughts. "Okay, Pat," he said to himself. "Get it together. You've got a meeting to arrange."

ZZZ

While Dasha explored Nova Linda in awe, Zenon sat on the couch next to Proto Zoa, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "What are you thinking?" he whispered.

"I don't know," she replied. "I'm in comprehension mode minor right now and I feel like I should be thinking about something, but I'm clear minor about what it is."

"Perhaps you should take a break."

Zenon's zap-pad went off, and she checked the ID. "Great," she muttered. "Looks like a break is evasive major."

She answered the zap, and Numbar said, "Oh, finally. I've been waiting for thirty minutes for somebody to answer."

"It's for you," she said, handing the zap-pad to Zoa, who walked off into a separate room.

Zenon turned on the television to pass the time, but nothing of note seemed to be on, so she turned it off again. Dasha walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. "Vega omega," she said. "You're so lucky he's letting you stay here."

"I dreamt it," she said flatly, not looking at her cousin.

"Dreamt staying here?"

"No. You said Numbar planned to blow up the spay stay. I dreamt about the spay stay exploding."

"Wait, you had another freaky god-given dream?"

"I don't know."

"You just fell asleep and saw the spay stay explode?"

"I was trying to get away, but when I started trying to control my movements, I couldn't. I circled around, like I had to see it happen, and then the spay stay went up like a faulty major pyrotechnics show, and the shockwave sent me back, and I woke up. That's what happened."

Dasha immediately became subdued, and she settled back, staring at the carpet. A moment later, she glanced up at Zenon, who was still staring at the blank television screen, her eyes glazed over. "Zee, we have to stop him, before he blows the spay stay up."

"When he meets with Zoa," Zenon rasped. "Dasha, I need you to zap Margie and tell her everything you know. If she asks, tell her Zoa's using my zap-pad because Selena destroyed his."

"Okay, Zee, I will." She pulled her zap-pad out of a jacket pocket and began searching the contacts for the 'M's. Margie was near the top of the list, and she tapped the name gently.

"Dasha, how'd you get this ID?" Margie asked.

"Zee gave it to me," Dasha replied. "Look, she needs me to tell you something, about the spay stay."

"What about it?"

"It's gonna blow up."

"What?" General Hammond asked, walking up behind Margie. Carefully, Dasha explained what she knew of Numbar's plans, watching both of the Hammonds go white. "Excuse me," the general said, clearing his throat and straightening out his already straight jacket. He walked off the screen, leaving a pale and nervous-looking Margie.

"Are you guys coming up?" Margie asked.

"I think so," Dasha replied. "Just watch for Numbar's pod, and make sure your dad knows that."

"I think he does, but I'll make sure."

Dasha nodded and signed off, pocketing her zap-pad.

"We've got three days," Proto Zoa said as he walked into the living room.

"Okay," Zenon said.

"Wait, will you take us with you?" Dasha asked, turning to face him.

"Of course I will," he replied. "I mean, you two are the ones out to save the world. Who am I to stand in your way?"

"Thanks," Zenon whispered.

ZZZ

Commander Plank had finished trying to silence Centauri when his zap-pad went off. "This is the commander," he said when he answered.

"Commander, we have a situation," General Hammond said, "and I recommend that you get up here as fast as possible."

"What? Why?"

"I've recieved a tip that a Patrick Numbar is going to blow up the space station in the near future." The commander suddenly felt breathless, and when he didn't respond, the general added, "Contact everyone you can think of to get a date for Numbar's arrival, and pass it on to me as soon as you know."

"Yes, sir."

The general signed off, and Commander Plank set his zap-pad on the coffee table. He settled into the couch with a sigh. Judy walked into the room then and noticed the expression on his face. "Space?" she asked. "You have to go back to space?"

"I'm afraid so," he replied. "It's a Code Red."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Zenon's zap-pad went off again, and Proto Zoa answered almost immediately. "Sweet Jesus," Lester said. "Where've you been?"

"My zap-pad got fried. Look, we found Dasha, and she's unharmed, don't worry, but we have bigger fish to fry right now," Zoa replied, propping the zap-pad up on the nightstand as he picked a bag and tossed a few things into it. "Can you contact General Hammond?"

"Why?"

"I have a message for him, one I'm sure he wants to know."

Lester pressed a few buttons, and the general asked, "Who are you and what've you got?"

"Sir, it's Proto Zoa," Proto Zoa said. "You have three days before Numbar goes up and the space station goes down."

"Ever give any thought to why he'd want to do it?"

"Probably wants to replace it with a dock station of some sort to piggy-back on the way to Mars. That's the only reason I can think of, and remember, we have three days. I'll do my best to distract him, but I can't guarantee good results; if I could, this wouldn't be a problem."

For a long moment, the general was silent, and then he asked, "What is your recommendation?"

"My Wonder Bus is parked in the Seven Stars parking garage in Los Angeles. Take a passenger on the way down so that they can take it back up. Zee will never forgive me if I don't help evacuate the space station as soon as possible, so please, hurry."

"I will," the general said, and with that, he signed off.

"Thank you, Lester," Zoa said. "For everything."

"No problem."

"Oh, and if anything should happen to me, take care of Zenon. Make sure she's set."

"Okay, I will."

Zoa dropped the bag on his bed and examined the contents. "You know, this is probably a bad idea, packing."

"Depends on how long you're gonna be there."

"It could be the last day of my life. It could be a few hours, a few minutes, or even a few seconds. You heard me make arrangements to help evacuate the spay-stay, Zenon's spay-stay. You heard me tell the general that Zenon would never forgive me if any resident up there died because of Numbar's little stunt. Lester, I need to be certain in what could be the final days of my life. Can I trust you to help me finish what I started?"

Lester nodded curtly, a soft smile on his face. "I got your back, kid," he said.

"Thank you." Lester nodded again and signed off.

ZZZ

The conference room was pandemonium, and try as he might, General Hammond couldn't get everything under control in the usual fashion, so he opted for a more direct approach. "Quiet, now," he shouted. The room fell silent immediately. "We will organize this evacuation in an organized manner. I will take someone down to Earth in search of a vessel large enough to transport everyone who doesn't have a pod of their own, and those who do have pods will leave this space station in an organized manner before Patrick Numbar can get here to blow this place up. This notice will be released as soon as possible and as calmly as possible. We must take every chance possible to avoid utter disaster."

His soldiers saluted him, and he saluted back before they walked out of the room, leaving Mark and Astrid Kar and Margie, who was watching from the corner. He nodded to the three and walked out of the conference room. "Zenon's fine. She's with Zoa," Margie said before following her father out of the room.

Mark took a deep breath. "I suppose we'd better pack up and stay with your sister," he said. "Safest place for us while this whole thing blows over." Astrid nodded, and they walked out of the conference room, down a few corridors, and into their room.

ZZZ

Zenon tapped on the doorframe, after the door slid open. Zoa looked over at her, slightly surprised, and when he recovered himself, he asked, "Should we pack or not?"

"Idea mode minor," she replied, "but I don't think this is gonna be a long trip."

"You're right. They're probably evacuating the spay-stay right now. In three days, it'll be up to us and Margie, if she stays, to disarm the bomb and stop Numbar's plans, for now."

"What if we don't?"

"Then it should be easy for us to get out."

She walked over to him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face in her chest. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "Don't be afraid," he whispered. "You're strong, I know you are, and I'm right here. I always will be."

"Don't leave me."

"I won't, I swear."

"Zoa, if anything happens to me, take care of Dasha."

He exhaled softly. "Nothing's going to happen to you, Zee. You're going to be fine."

"What if I'm not?"

"I'll die before I let anything happen to you, and if I die, I told Lester to take care of everything."

Zenon closed her eyes and squeezed him gently. "I don't know if I'm ready to watch this time."

"You have to at least go, if only for the practical reason of retrieving your pod before it's destroyed."

"Oh, great. The dream is a self-fulfilling prophecy major."

"I never asked for you to try to stop Numbar from blowing up the spay-stay. That was something I never expected, because I thought it would be much too difficult for you, and I didn't want you to invest too much and lose so much more. I have no idea how to watch you go through that. All I wanted was to help you save all of those people's lives."

She squeezed him a little bit harder. He responded in kind, running a hand through her hair and entwining his fingers in it. When she pulled away, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly. "We're in this together now," she said when she had the chance.

"All or nothing," he replied. "Now, let's see this through." She smiled, and he kissed her again.

ZZZ

Dasha turned on the television and began searching through the news stations when she found something in a language she understood.

"Riots in Brazil, the Republic of the Congo, and other countries around the world are becoming increasingly more violent," the newswoman said. "In spite of the best efforts by police to keep the riots under control, dozens have been killed worldwide and hundreds more injured."

Dasha winced. Riots were supposed to be a thing of the past, only found in history books in impersonal terms that had no real effect. This was different. Something was severely wrong, not with the system in place on Earth, but with the Martian colony.

That was it, she realized. Mars was retaliating, and it wouldn't be long before World War Three broke out because of it.

The weather came up, and it seemed as if riots weren't the world's only problem. Storms of various forms were tearing paths of destruction across large swaths of the world.

This colony plan had to be stopped, and soon. Of this much she was sure.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The three-days-wait had finally come to an end, and Proto Zoa found himself steering a pod to Space Station 015741, with Zenon and Dasha in the back passenger seats. Most of the other pods they encountered were headed in the opposite direction, and the drivers and passengers gave them strange looks. These pods were few and far between, however, leaving Zoa, Zenon, and Dasha mostly alone in a pod on their way to the space station for a meeting which could make or break almost everything.

Zoa maneuvered the pod into the loading dock and parked. One other pod was parked there: Numbar's. Zenon spotted Margie and General Hammond farther up in the loading dock, and she saw Numbar leaning against his pod, tapping his foot impatiently.

Zoa turned to face the cousins. "Stay here until I get him out of here, and then you can find the bomb and get rid of it. Be fast, but be careful," he said. "You can do this."

Zenon and Dasha nodded, and Zoa hopped out of the pod and walked over to where Numbar stood. "You're late," Numbar said.

"I'm never late. You're just early," Zoa replied.

"Excuse me?"

"Remember, you're on my schedule. I arrive somewhere whenever I choose to arrive there, and if I have to drive this point home with you, then I'll end up wasting my time, and my time is not to be wasted."

"So you're perfectly happy with wasting mine?"

"Excuse me. I'm the one you want performing on Mars for your colony project's opening day. You do still want me there, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Now, I don't like talking business in a loading dock. The attatched corridor, maybe, but not a loading dock. We'll talk about this show somewhere else."

"Okay, look-"

"We'll talk about it somewhere else."

"Oh, no, we're not."

"What's the matter? Afraid of taking orders from an ultra-fabulous rock star?"

Numbar lowered his head so that he could look up at Zoa through his eyelashes. "No. I just have important business to take care of, and I'm not willing to leave it for something else."

"Did you not hear me? I am an ultra-fabulous rock star. The only time I ever heard of you was seven years ago when you wanted to colonize the moon. Now listen to me. If you want me to perform on Mars, then you have to pay attention. First things first, we will discuss this somewhere else. I cannot make myself more perfectly clear."

"Oh, I hate you," Numbar muttered, following Proto Zoa out of the loading dock.

ZZZ

Zenon and Dasha hopped out of the pod, and Zenon gestured to Margie, who met them at Numbar's pod. Dasha managed to pop it open, and the three hopped inside, Margie glancing back and nodding to her father before proceeding. The back seat had been removed, and in its place was a bomb. It was white in color and looked so advanced as to almost be alien. "This is my final now," Zenon whispered.

"It looks like a group test," Margie added. "Let's make it good."

Dasha rummaged around for a screwdriver, which she found in the glovebox, and handed it to Zenon. Zenon and Margie walked over to the bomb, and Margie found a panel that Zenon could unscrew and detatch, which she did, only to find a mass of multi-colored wires beneath. "Now what?" she asked.

"Where's the main circuit board?" Margie asked in reply.

"Isn't it typically under the..." Her eyes drifted the timer counting down the minutes to their demise, which was now just under ten. "...timer?"

Margie snatched the screwdriver and began working at the timer, trying to get it loose. She succeeded at eight minutes and thirty-nine seconds to detonation and then began working at the board beneath it, trying to get it loose. "Great," she muttered after several moments of fruitless tugging and pulling. "Do you have a laser?" Zenon shook her head and glanced at Dasha.

"Is there a laser in the glovebox?" she asked.

"I think I saw one," Dasha replied, and then she returned to the glovebox.

"What's the timer say?" Zenon asked Margie.

"Seven fifty-nine."

"I've got nothing," Dasha said, returing to the back space. "What do we do?"

"How many army guys are still here?"

"Just Daddy, for support in case anything happens to me. Buddy system, you know. Why?"

"We have to get out of here."

ZZZ

"Oh, now you're getting ridiculous," Numbar said.

"Excuse me, but I have to check again. Do you want me there or not?" Proto Zoa asked.

"Oh, come on. That's the twelfth time you've asked me that."

"Do you want me there or not? Answer me; it's a simple yes-or-no question."

Numbar exhaled, a look of infinite rage and impatience in his eyes. "For the thirteenth time, yes, I want you at the show on Mars."

"Then make sure you have everything taken care of. And one more thing."

"Now what?"

Proto Zoa punched Numbar in the face. "That's for the girls," he said, watching Numbar push himself up off the ground.

"Am I interrupting?" General Hammond asked from the door.

"Has something gone wrong?"

Before the general could answer, Zoa noticed Margie and Dasha hovering near his pod. He was possessed by a seemingly endless dread. "We need to leave." Zoa nodded and walked past the general and over to his pod.

"Where's Zenon?" he asked the girls.

"Went to get her pod. I think the dream makes sense to her," Dasha replied. Zoa opened the pod, and the two girls, the general, and himself climbed inside. He started it and took off as the loading dock's door opened.

ZZZ

Numbar walked over to his pod and found the bomb damaged in the specific manner associated with attempts at disarmament. "Dammit," he muttered and tossed the bomb out of his pod. He then closed his pod up and prepared to take off, maneuvering so that he was behind Proto Zoa's pod and right next to a brigh red one that was preparing to take a far different path.

ZZZ

Zenon swung out in a large arc away from the space station, just as she had in her dream. She paused at one point to drift forward for a moment before steering away again. This loop was larger, and at the end of it, she found herself facing the space station again.

The only differences between this reality and the dream were that she had complete control over her movements and that she felt no feaer or confusion. She knew what she was doing, and she understood the reason behind her dreams. This was something she couldn't stop, but all the same, she had to see it. She had to live through it.

The space station erupted in a ball of fire, but it was off-center, not like it was in her dream. The blast ripped the rest of the space station apart like it was old-fashioned forensic gel, irreverent to where the breaks in the sections really were.

Zenon allowed the shockwave to rock her backwards, spinning her end over end, and then she recovered the will to steer. She charted a mental path to Nova Linda Cove and maneuvered her pod so that she could get there. She landed in the back yard, hopped out, and walked in through the back door, directly toward the guest room she occupied.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Proto Zoa searched for around thirty minutes before finding the ladder to the roof pulled down in the middle of the hallway. He climbed it and took a seat on the roof, next to Zenon.

"There's a star missing," Zenon whispered.

"I know, love. I know," he replied, unable to hide the pain he felt at seeing Zenon that way.

She continued to stare at the horizon, and Zoa noticed it. There was a larger than normal patch of darkness there, where the space station used to be. This blotch seemed almost ringed by stars and was quite small, amid similar blotches and numerous, numerous stars, but it seemed the most noticeable, the only blotch that mattered.

"Zee," he whispered, "I'm sorry. I should've done more."

"You couldn't. I couldn't disarm the bomb."

"I don't want you to blame yourself, Zee. I know you and Margie and Dasha did what you could, what you knew how to do, but I'm the one you should blame, for separating a man who might've had a laser from something that needed a laser to stop functioning. It's my fault."

"No. It's not your fault, Zoa."

"So, if it's not your fault, and it's not mine, than whose is it? Or is it a horrendous accident?"

"It's not an accident. Numbar got what he wanted."

"So that's why you blame yourself. You feel like he won."

"He did win, Zoa. He got what he wanted. He blew up the spay-stay, and now he can do whatever he wants with the space. He can piggy-back to Mars in that space if he wants to. He. Won."

"One battle," a strangely familiar voice said from behind them. Zenon and Zoa turned to face Mars, who was squatted farther up the roof, watching them patiently. "Numbar only won once. There's another battle coming, and if it's the one that ends the war before it even starts, then it should be you planting the flag, not him, and yes, I'm being hypothetical. He still has to open his colony to hopeful, oblivious Earthlings, and so help them if they're there when I destroy that establishment." He stood and dissolved into streams of red ribbon, shooting upward.

"Oh, Zoa," Zenon whispered, leaning into him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his cheek resting against the top of her head, content merely to hold her silently.


End file.
